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[xshatterheartx.livejournal.com]

Who: Fran, Balthier & the moogles
When: After taking Larsa to Rabanastre
Where: The Strahl
What: Signing up for a hunt and explaining the bird and the bees to Gero
Rating: PG-13



Fran had been out for the morning, stocking up on various supplies. She returned, carrying the bag full of remedies and potions, as well as some shots for Balthier and arrows for herself, and of course food and alcohol. In her free hand she had a torn piece of paper. She moved over to Balthier, pressing the paper - a bill for a mark - to his chest, kissing his head.

Balthier had been in bed most of the day. He didn't want to run into Larsa. It would be to awkward. At Fran's return, he smiled at her, lifting the paper and frowning at the image on it. "Lord Ochu." He read. Tilting his head, he looked up at her. "What purpose does this hunt hold?"

"It gives us something entertaining to do. Besides 5000gil is a good price, don't you think? We have to start thinking about our financial future, after all."

Balthier reached for her hands, pulling her to the bed and swiftly pinning her to mattress. "And why is that, love?" He grinned at her.

Fran gave a soft 'omph' as she was pinned, looking up at Balthier. "I think you know full well why we have to."

"Tell me again, mayhaps I have forgotten." He replied, straddling her and trapping her hands down with his own.

Fran gave a soft chuckle, wriggling beneath Balthier. "I am sure I do not have to say it again."

"Hmph. Spoilsport." He chuckled, shifting off her. Stretching his arms, he looked down at that bill. "A difficult hunt. Should we take time to prepare?"

Fran remained laid where she was, closing her eyes. "You think we shall struggle?"

"Perhaps." He replied, petting her stomach lightly. "Have we not faced worse, however?"

Fran shivered a little under his touch. "We have. And no doubt we shall face worse in the future."

"Mm." He leaned to kiss her cheek. "I have been thinking... possibilities, really. Nothing too worrisome..."

Fran shifted a little to look at Balthier's face. "What is troubling you?" She asked, sitting up slightly.

"What... what say our child wishes to be... 'an upstanding citizen'? What if their wish is... for ground and not sky?"

"We shall cross that bridge when we come to it. We do not even know if I am with child yet... Let us at least get them into the world before we worry of their future..."

"The future is all I worry of." He replied, leaning in to nuzzle her neck lightly.

"If it should come to it, I would give up the sky to raise the child." Fran replied, petting Balthier's hair lightly.

"I... would to." He nodded once, kissing her skin before looking to her eyes.

Fran nudged her nose against his. "You know I would never force that upon you, don't you?"

Balthier nodded slightly. "I know this. Yet... I do not wish for a child of mine to grow up with a father like mine."

"You are nothing like your father. You never will be." Fran hooked her arms around Balthier's neck, resting her forehead against his.

Balthier chuckled softly. "I am all but his double. My greatest fear... is to become him." He frowned a little.

"You shall never be like that vile man. I shall make sure of that." She teased, kissing his frowning lips.

Balthier laughed softly again, nipping her lip. "You had better." He smiled at her. "Now, have we not a hunt to complete?"

"We have. So you should stop distracting me with that wicked mouth of yours."

"Is it not you who is distracting me with kisses?" He smirked at her.

Fran leaned in and stole another kiss. "No. It is you." She purred.

Balthier laughed and leaned back, looking at her properly. "You, Viera, are a filthy, lying wench of a sky pirate. And I love every inch of you." He smirked.

Fran laughed soft. "Well, I had a great teacher, Hume." She replied, shifting to rest her head on his shoulder.

"That you did." He smiled and kissed her head before moving to dress himself. "Where are we to find said mark?"

"A place known as the Black Mage Village, deep within a forest." Fran shifted to sit on the edge of the bed. "We... we are doing the right thing, aren't we?"

Balthier looked to her. "As regards to the hunt... or our unborn child?" He tilted his head a little.

"Which do you think?" Fran asked, looking at the floor.

"The latter." He moved to sit beside her after buttoning his shirt, slipping an arm around her. "Why do you worry?"

"I am not worried." She lied, leaning into his hold. "Just... a little uneasy. It is a natural fear, I suppose?"

"I expect so." He kissed her cheek softly, giving her a gentle hug, holding her close. "Now, tell me what makes you uneasy."

"I do not know. The fear of the unknown perhaps. The fear of failing. The fear of not being good enough. The fear that it is not your true desire."

"We cannot defeat the unknown, failure will undoubtedly happen, we can only be as good as we are... and my desire is true."

"You make it sound so easy." She said with a soft laugh. "Perhaps we should tell our boys of our plans sometime soon?

Balthier laughed quietly too. "Mm. After our hunt. We shall bring back the spoils and our plans for them to revel in."

"I hope they are happy with the news." She leaned into his arms more. "What of Larsa? I do not wish to make the boy uncomfortable. I am sorry. I did not mean to make you uncomfortable with his company. He hurts. Perhaps to be with us was not the best solution, but it is better than leaving him to grieve alone."

Balthier nodded a little. "I agree that alone is not right for him... but with us... it is rubbing salt into his already gaping wounds."

"He had no one else to turn to. I hope Vaan can protect him. I do wish we knew where to find Basch, is protecting the young lord not his job?"

"Last I heard, Larsa was also unsure of his place. Basch Fon Ronsenberg... supposed Captain of the Guard... he cannot even protect young Larsa." He frowned, shaking his head slightly.

"I do hope nothing bad has become of him." Fran replied, petting Balthier's head, before getting up from the bed.

"No doubt he is off on 'official business'." He shook his head again, standing to finish dressing himself for their hunt.

Fran moved to the cockpit, retrieving the map to locate the village to find the co-ordinates.

As soon as he was ready, Balthier headed to the cockpit, sitting in his seat and beginning to get the Strahl into the air.

Fran entered the co-ordinates and smiled at Balthier. "It is a fair distance, but the sky is calm, it should not take too long."

Balthier nodded once, looking to the sky and flicking his ship onto autopilot as soon as he could. Resting back in his chair, he smiled softly with his eyes closed, listening to the engines.

Fran turned to head to watch Balthier, smiling at his calm state. "It is nice to see you at ease."

"It is rare to feel so at ease." He replied softly, not even opening his eyes. "With the way things have been, I am surprised even at myself."

Fran got up from her seat, moving to straddle Balthier's lap, resting her hands on his shoulders.

Balthier barely even shifted at her sudden movements. "And you want?" He asked, smirking at her with his eyes still closed.

"Nothing. Just to be close to you. Is that a crime? If so, I am guilty."

"You are guilty of many things, Viera." He chuckled, at last opening his eyes to look up at her face, resting his hands on her waist. "And if the young lord were to walk in on us now?"

"We are only sitting. We were sharing a bed and bathing together long before we were united as one, were we not?" She said, stroking her claws over his neck.

"Mm. Pure torture for me, I will have you know." He replied, looking to her face. "With the way you dress and sharing baths and bed, it was cruel of you to tease a boy."

Fran tilted her head. "Oh? The perhaps you should have spoke of your feelings. It was not easy for me either, having to occupy myself while you entertained guests in our shared room. Drinking until the early hours until they left the bed, and then having to sleep with the stench of Hume sex against my nose."

"You should have spoke on it. Were you to state your distaste for it, I would have done it elsewhere." He replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

"The stench would still have lingered on your skin." Fran said, pressing a soft kiss against Balthier's nose.

"And you would still not have spoken of it until I confessed my love to you." He replied, nipping her lower lip.

"Confessed your love? Yelled at me in your drunken state more like." She teased, biting back.

"Yell? I never yell." He replied, moving to kiss her cheek, running his fingers over her lower back.

"Hmph, well then, spoke in a harsh tone, and made me stay awake all night thinking. Though I suppose the next day you did confess."

Balthier paused. "I... really yelled at you?" He tilted his head, honestly not recalling that night.

"Perhaps yell is a little too strong. But you were rather snarky, even for you."

Balthier frowned slightly, looking at her. "What did I say to you?" He looked as though he was rather shocked at his own behaviour.

"It does not matter." Fran replied, cupping his cheeks, kissing him softly.

"Mm... if you are sure... yet I am quite annoyed at myself for shouting at you." He replied back, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"You were rather drunk. We both were. And with the Strahl crashing and everything... it had been a hard day."

Balthier nodded a little. "I... did not say anything too brash, did I?" He asked, looking up to her face with a frown.

"You simply told me to find my inner voice. Nothing more. Nothing less. It is in the past."

"I... see." He leaned back more in his seat, crossing his arms and looking at her with a soft smile. "And did you?"

Fran gave a nod, resting her hands on Balthier's shoulders.

"What did your voice tell you?" He tilted his head a little, smiling.

"It matters not. Let us not drag up the past." Fran replied, kissing his cheek.

Balthier gave a nod, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to his chest.

Fran gave a contented sigh. "Are you happy?"

Balthier smiled softly. "Happier than I have been recently. Why do you ask?" He looked to her face, their noses barely an inch apart.

"I need a reason to ask?" Fran asked, leaning in to steal a soft kiss.

Balthier smiled into the kiss, leaning closer to her. "Of course not. Are you happy?"

Fran gave a nod. "I am. There are many things which worry me still, but I am happy."

"What worries you?" He asked, petting his fingers through her hair gently, leaning to nuzzle her cheek.

"Things I do no wish to speak of." Fran nuzzled in return, petting her fingers through Balthier's hair.

"I see." He frowned slightly, not letting his concern show as much as it was nagging at the inside of him.

"It will only cause arguments and unease. I do not wish for that."

Balthier sighed slightly "I know that which worries you. I shall not speak on it, however." He mumbled, frowning.

"There are many things, not just one." She kissed his forehead. "See, you frown, already things are uneasy."

Balthier chuckled slightly. "I frown a lot, Fran." He replied, smiling softly at her. "It is simply a thing we Humes do. Even if we are not upset."

Fran pulled his hand to her stomach, leaning in to kiss his cheek. "I prefer to see you smile. I wish to see you smiling, always."

"Well, I can't always smile. Sometimes, it is better for us to cry, even when happy." He smiled at her however.

Fran let out a soft sigh, resting her hand on top of his. "How long do you think it'll be until we know whether... anything has happened?"

Balthier hummed slightly in thought. "I... am unsure. I would suggest another visit to the village but..." He shook his head slightly.

Fran gave a nod. "Mm. I would rather not cross Jote or Arj's path again..."

Balthier smiled, closing his eyes briefly. "Mayhaps we shall just know?" He chuckled softly, letting out a yawn.

"Mayhaps." Fran replied, resting her head on Balthier's shoulder. "Sleep until we reach the village."

"Sounds like a... fine... ide..." he mumbled, falling asleep before finishing his sentence.

Fran shifted off of Balthier's lap, giving the lever a kick to tilt the chair into a horizontal position.

Balthier barely flinched, shifting to lay on his side, closing his eyes tighter, drifting into a very comfortable sleep.

Fran made her way to the kitchen, getting herself a bottle of orange juice, before returning to the cockpit, sitting in her own seat.

Balthier lay silent in his sleep, simply still and quiet, except a few slight noises from his dream state.

Fran sipped her juice, watching over her lover as he slept. Gero bounced along the corridor to the cockpit, making an attempt to climb up Fran's leg. She picked the tiny moogle up, giving him a tender hug.

Nono came running after the younger one, panting slightly. He dove onto Fran's lap and bopped Gero on the head. "Tag!" He squeaked, diving onto the control panel.

Fran gave a laugh. "Be careful, you don't want to change our course, we may crash." She reached out and bopped Nono's pompom. "Tag right back." Gero squeaked happily, hopping out of Fran's hold to bounce around the cockpit.

Nono flopped to sit on the console, looking to Balthier with his head tilted. His gaze returned to Fran a moment later and he gave a curious squeak.

Fran looked at Balthier and then back at Nono. "He rests. He is tired. It has been a difficult time lately, I believe it has caught up with him."

Gero squeaked and made grabby hands at Nono, wanting to be up with him. The Viera scooped him up, sitting him on the console beside Nono.

The older moogle nodded once, hitting himself in the nose with his pompom. "Sleep all day. Sleep all night. No fun anymore." He pouted slightly.

Fran sighed a little. "I am sorry. We haven't made much time for you boys lately, have we?"

Gero squeaked again, prodding Nono lightly with his paw.

Nono squeaked at Gero a few times, poking his pompom before looking to Fran again. "I understand. Gero... is too young."

Gero batted at Nono's pompom. Fran sighed, running her hand through her hair. "We have not been fair to you. You are part of our family, we should spend time with you more often."

Nono swiped at Gero a moment, making his own pompom his Gero. After a moment he looked back to his 'mother'. "I understand." He repeated.

The smaller moogle squeaked and batted at Nono more. Fran smiled soft, reaching out to give Nono's nose a gentle poke. "What would we do without you?"

"Walk?" He grinned, knowing he was the main engineer of the Strahl and without them, they would most likely be ground ridden more often than not.

"Cheeky!" Fran laughed, giving his pompom a flick. She settled back in her seat, taking another drink of her orange juice.

Nono made grabby hands at the juice, wiggling in his position on the console, a cheeky smile on his face.

The Viera handed over the bottle. "Be careful not to spill it."

He sipped it, wiggling his little feet in joy before holding it out to her. "Thank you!" He beamed brightly at her.

Balthier shifted slightly, making a quiet groan before laying out on his front on the captain's chair.

Fran took the bottle back and took a sip. Gero made grabby hands. Fran laughed and held the bottle against his lips, letting him take a small sip. The Viera looked over at her Hume, letting out a sigh.

Nono watched Balthier for a moment, frowning slightly. "I-ill at ease?" He tilted his head just slightly, sniffing oddly.

Fran gave a nod. "Yes. But it will pass. He is strong. We will work through whatever troubles him with time."

"I... smell... change. A big change is troubling him. He fears... inadequacy." He frowned more, sounding very confused at his own findings.

Fran leaned over to stroke Balthier's hair. "There are many changes in life. A change in our own life is ever near. It is a frightening and uneasy time."

"A change? What change approaches us now?" He looked rather worried, the tension showing in his furry face.

Fran chewed on her lip slightly, was it really fair for her to tell of their news without Balthier? "A ... new arrival to our family..."

"The young lord? He is to join our family?" Nono tilted his head, bopping Gero with his pompom.

Gero gave a squeak and batted the invading pompom away. Fran shook her head. "No, this new arrival is far smaller."

Nono looked to Gero, pointing at him with a confused expression on his face.

Balthier shifted in his sleep, blinking a few times as he woke with discomfort. "What... is the noise about?"

Fran shook her head. "No, larger than Gero, but smaller than you." She looked over at Balthier. "You are supposed to be asleep, love."

"Larger than... smaller than... confused!!" He squeaked huffily, bouncing slightly.

"With this noise? I think not. What are you discussing?" He tilted his head to look at the three of them properly.

Fran flushed a little. "We are discussing the possible new arrival..."

"I... see." He shifted to sit up, looking at her more than the moogles. "Have you explained yet?" He leaned his head on his elbow.

Fran shook her head. "I have not. But since you are now awake, you can help."

Gero looked between the two adults, and then at Nono, shrugging with a confused squeak.

Balthier smiled softly. "We are planning... hoping to have a child. A youngster of our own." He explained to the boys.

"A baby?" Nono tilted his head, looking to each of the adults before leaning on Gero a little.

Fran gave a nod. "A baby. It is a big decision, but I believe it is what we both desire. I hope... at least."

Gero squeaked at being leaned on, looking at Nono, still confused.

Balthier frowned just slightly. "Fran. Do not say that. Of course it is what we both desire. Unless, of course, you do not."

Nono leaned to Gero's ear, squeaking to him. He explained all about Hume and Viera mating and the 'birds and the bees'.

Fran flushed a little. "You know of my wishes."

Gero's eyes went wide, letting out a surprised squeak. He pointed at Fran and at Balthier, and then at Fran's stomach, squeaking all the time.

Balthier looked to the youngest moogle with a raise eyebrow. "Well. Nono. I do believe you've explained with rude words, hm?"

Nono nodded to Gero's squeaks, replying with ones of his own. When Balthier spoke, he silenced, grinning awkwardly.